Late in "Steel Magnolias," Truvy the hairdresser says her favorite emotion is "laughter through tears."

That feeling is the essence of Robert Harling's play about female friendship, and a successful production has to know how to mine the laughter while not neglecting the tears. As anyone who has seen the 1989 movie knows, those tears are just as important as the laughs.

FantasyLand Productions' take on the story of M'lynn, her eccentric Southern friends and her headstrong daughter, Shelby, scores on both points.

Director Christian St. John keeps the laughter flowing with a breezy pace that matches the tone of a good, old-fashioned gossip. The whole show takes place in Truvy's beauty parlor (a beautifully designed set), where the group of witty women meet to share life's moments big and small.

The tears are for later, as M'lynn struggles to cope with diabetic Shelby's decision to have a baby, despite warnings from doctors that such a pregnancy would carry a huge risk.

Harling has filled the play with snappy lines — the kind of comebacks and expressions I always think of much too late to be of any use — and the six-woman cast does them justice. Stripping away the movie's star power (Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton and Sally Field were among the film actresses) gives a more natural quality to the dialogue, even when it goes a bit over the top. "Reach out to Ouiser and you'll pull back a bloody stump," Clairee (Mary Beth Finley) opines.

Finley deftly mixes such acerbic lines with warmhearted gestures. As cranky Ouiser, Karen Good delivers a no-nonsense, no-apologies brusque performance. But in a touching moment, as an emotional M'lynn breaks down, Finley and Good silently clutch each other in an understood empathy.

Other characters are given such nice moments, too: Fervent Christian Annelle (Aja Jones) mouths prayers or purses her lips as the other women gossip and cuss. Earthy Truvy (Karen Hill) is constantly fussing, whether primping hair, passing out magazines or fetching tissues. Even her gum chewing has a life of its own.

But it's the dynamic between M'Lynn (Joanne Van Zyl) and Shelby (Erika Remley) at the heart of the story. Van Zyl's face tightens and eyes widen as she tries to control her nagging — until she can't take it anymore. Remley's eyes sparkle as she defies her mother, knowing which buttons to push. And her voice projects a fierce belief in her optimism.

The chatter flows nonstop, mingled with the laughter, until director St. John picks just the right spot to abruptly slow things down. The dramatic change in tempo adds extra emotional heft to some already heavy scenes. Heavy, but not grim. It's all about laughter through tears.